E-Mail Address

stephen.spada@charlottecountryday.org

Monday, September 19, 2011

Brixx 10k race recap!

I did not taper for this race. I had a lot of fun at this race and here is my recap:

I parked at the Dowd (Central) Y for this race and ran to Brixx pizza to get my number (thanks as always to Tim Rhodes for comping my entry as I do not take that for granted). The volunteers who help out are always so nice...I like to think that I am too). I continued my warm up by just circling around Brixx and Reid's until it was about 7:30am. At that point, I took my warm ups off and put my singlet on. Went over to a vacant lot to do some easy strides. Felt ok...

I must confess that I was so inspired by what Galen Rupp had done the day before in Brussels in the ten thousand. Paul and I were talking about it right before the start of the race. He for Mo, Me for Galen...oh well!

The gun goes off (I think Tim said go) and strait away we all take off. Paul goes to the front, and then there is pack behind Paul. That pack was lead by Richard, then Billy, Jim, Chad and a few other players. Myself and Chris, and Eric and David and Kent were in a pack behind them. After a half mile, I said to Eric, "let's see if we can get up to that pack", and that is what I did. Eric thought they would come back to us...I wasn't so sure!
I took off and quickly joined the lead pack (behind Paul of course) just past the half mile mark. At this point, I am stoked to be with this group that includes Chad, Billy, Richard, Jim and myself.

We continue to press the pace as we reach the 1 mile mark, no split, still the pace continues. I'm still feeling good when Richard cranks things up ever so slightly, which Billy, Jim, Chad and I respond to. At the 2 mile mark, Richard amps it up a little more which Billy responds to, Jim and I also respond and it seems as though Chad lost the connection (not so fast). At the 3 mile mark and at which point we have been climbing for a while, Richard is in 2nd, he's got a gap on Billy, who has a gap on Jim and I. Jim breaks from me and at 3 and a half miles, Chad goes by me and offers a small word of encouragement (class act). I'm now in 6th place. At four and a half miles and with me suffering slightly, Chris Lamperski passes me. At around 5 and a quarter mile, Doug and David go by me and that was frustrating yet good for them! Just before 6 miles, I see that I'm gaining on Chris and I catch him at the 6 mile mark, we run together til 6.1 at which point he gets a 1 second gap on me which he holds to the finish.

35:40 (5:44 pace) good for 9th place. Fun to be competitive for the first half of the race and pleased with the time. Need to see if I can be competitive longer for the next race. We'll see...